Liza, My Love
by CelticUnicorn
Summary: Liza and Annie of Annie On My Mind, 20 years in the future. Please R &R!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Annie Kenyon and Liza Winthrop are the property of author Nancy Garden. This story is based on her novel Annie on My Mind, and is my ideas of what the lives of Annie and Liza are like twelve years after the book ends.  
  
"Annie!" Liza Winthrop called to her beloved partner, Annie Kenyon. "Phone for you!"  
  
"Who is it?" Annie's voice floated in from the living room. Annie was a singer, a mezzo-soprano, and whenever she raised her voice above normal speaking level it took on a richness and purity that everyone admired. Especially Liza.  
  
"It's Tim. Your director?"  
  
Annie trudged in from the living room, their cat Isabelle in her arms. "What does he want?"  
  
Liza rolled her eyes, pretending to be mildly annoyed. "What am I, your secretary? You talk to him."  
  
Annie stuck her tongue out at Liza, who promptly poked her in the nose. Annie stifled a giggle as she shifted Isabelle to one arm and took the phone with her right hand.  
  
"Tim?. . . Fine, and you?" Annie listened for a moment, then let out a long sigh. It couldn't be good news. "Tim, Liza and I are leaving for vacation and . . .Maine! I told you weeks ago! . . . Well, we're supposed to leave on Thursday, right after Liza turns her grades in. . . . She teaches architecture, Tim, don't change the subject. . . Three weeks. Why?. . . Yes, that's true, but. . ." Another sigh. "All right. All right, Tim. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Annie?" Liza asked suspiciously as Annie hung up the phone. "Why did you say you'd see him tomorrow?"  
  
Annie rolled her eyes. "They're tacking an extra weekend on to the show. "  
  
"Can they do that?"  
  
"Apparently they can. Oh, Lize, I'm so sorry. I know you were really looking forward to leaving right after your grades were done. We'll leave on Sunday, right after the matinee, I promise." Liza had flopped down into one of the kitchen chairs and was looking pathetically up at Annie. Annie sat on the floor at her feet and placed her chin gingerly on Liza's knee like a sheepdog. "Please don't be mad, Lize. We'll still get two and a half weeks at the cabin."  
  
"I guess." Liza sighed. "What about your folks?"  
  
"Oh, no!" Annie stood up so fast she almost dropped Isabelle. The cat leapt from her arms and ran away into the hallway. "I forgot! Oh, and they were going to bring Nana this year!"  
  
"Nana? And how were we going to explain to Nana that you and I have a cabin together? Most roommates don't, you know."  
  
"Lize, quit it. A lot of friends take vacations together."  
  
"I know. I was joking."  
  
"It doesn't still bother you, does it? That my folks decided not to tell her?"  
  
"No. Not at all." Liza's voice was sincere.  
  
"I'll call them tonight. You're not mad, are you?"  
  
Liza shook her head. "Just disappointed. I was really looking forward to seeing Ms Stevenson and Ms Widmer again."  
  
Annie smiled at the mention of Liza's old teachers' names. "Me too. It's only four extra days, though."  
  
Liza pouted. "I guess so."  
  
"Come on," Annie said, taking her hand and lifting her up onto her feet. "You'll be late for your class."  
  
Liza grudgingly picked up her bag, in which she had stored her thirty- two students' research papers. She had spent the weekend grading them, and was to hand them back to her Basics of Architecture class that morning. She was not looking forward to hearing complaints from the students that hadn't done well.  
  
Annie walked her to the door and kissed her goodbye on the front step.  
  
"Are you driving or taking the T?" Annie asked.  
  
"I'll drive. I already missed one bus and the next one won't come in time. Besides, I'll get plenty of exercise next week at the cabin."  
  
Liza and Annie lived off of Cambridge Street, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Often Liza would take the Red Line to work at MIT, but it required either a very long walk to either the Central or Harvard subway stop or a wait for the 69 bus to take you to the Harvard stop, a bus that only came once every half hour. If you missed one, you had to resign yourself to either walking or being late.  
  
Annie watched Liza get into the car that was parked outside their house. They lived on the first level of a white three-decker on a relatively quiet street. Most nights you couldn't even hear the traffic zooming up and down busy Cambridge Street.  
  
As Annie watched Liza drive away, she decided she'd make something special for dinner to make up for the extra show she had to do. She would go to the poultry shop, the one that Liza called the "dead chicken store" because of its sign that said "Live Poultry, Fresh Killed." She'd buy a chicken to stuff and and she'd even make Liza's favorite, butternut squash. That would occupy Annie's day. That and the two voice lessons she taught on Monday. But her first student didn't come until noon, so she ushered Isabelle back in the house, grabbed her purse and set off for the store.  
  
She bought her chicken and then detoured to the Star Market to buy squash, stuffing mix, and a bottle of wine. As she walked down Cambridge Street, she remembered the first time she had come to Cambridge to visit Liza, when she was doing her undergrad work at MIT. Liza had taken her down Cambridge Street, remarking that there was every kind of store on that one road. They'd laughed at the oddity of the tombstone store's display of headstones, right there out for show like new cars. Annie had taken a picture of the New Deal Fish Market and the warehouse-style furniture store next to it, telling Liza that she was going to try to convince her friends that she had gone back in time to the 50's.  
  
Annie's reminiscing got her all the way back home, and she was even surprised at how short a time it had taken. She let herself in and immediately got to work. She put on a Met recording of Tosca and sung along to the parts she knew as she stirred the stuffing, then mashed the squash. She had just placed the bird in the oven when her first student showed up.  
  
Annie's two lessons, 16-year-old Martha and 17-year-old Susan, took her all the way up to when Liza was expected home from work. She walked Susan out and waved her goodbye, and since the weather was so nice, she decided to sit out and wait for Liza.  
  
It only took ten minutes until Liza's blue Mazda turned the corner. Liza saw Annie on the porch and smiled. She got out of the car with her bag, much lighter without the weight of thirty-two term papers. She climbed the stairs to where Annie was sitting on the porch and kissed her.  
  
"Miss me?" she asked.  
  
"You were gone?" Annie teased. Liza pretended to swat her. Annie shrieked and ran in the house, slamming the door. She stood on her tiptoes and grinned at Annie through the narrow windows in the door.  
  
"Oh, you are so dead!" Liza cried. She tried to push open the door but Annie was leaning against it, laughing wildly. Though they were now thirty-one years old, they often played like they were still teenagers.  
  
"I cannot let you pass, sir," Annie said, "until I am sure that you are who you say."  
  
Liza grinned. This was an old game from their youth, one that they both knew very well how to play. "My lady, I am Sir Kensington Kent. I am here to seek your fair hand. Please open the door in the name of the King of England."  
  
Annie opened the door and curtseyed dramatically. "Good sir."  
  
"My lady." Liza bowed, then in one sweeping gesture scooped Annie up in her arms. She carried her into the living room and tossed her on the sofa, then fell on the floor beside her. Both were laughing wildly.  
  
"Ooh, what smells so good?" Liza asked.  
  
Annie sat up and smiled. "Chicken. And you've certainly earned it, good sir knight."  
  
Liza stood up, straightening her clothes. "If you think this means I'm going to forgive you.well, it's a good start."  
  
Annie laughed. "It's also not ready yet. Shall we go for a walk before dinner?"  
  
Liza shook her head. "Can't. I have to finish making up my final."  
  
Annie sighed pathetically. "Can't you just give them all A's and be done with it?"  
  
"I wish," Liza said. "But I think the administration would get suspicious."  
  
"Not if you have them all say that you're the best teacher ever and they couldn't help but learn everything you taught them."  
  
"You're right, that wouldn't make them suspicious at all." Liza said with teasing sarcasm.  
  
"Fine," Annie pouted. "I'll go call Mom and Dad and tell them we'll have to postpone."  
  
"Tell Nana hi for me," Liza said as she headed into her study. "She still has no clue, does she?"  
  
"Nana's a true innocent," Annie said fondly. "I'm quite content to keep her that way."  
  
"So am I," Liza said. "Truly."  
  
Liza and Annie had decided long ago not to tell Annie's Nana about their relationship. Nana remained convinced that the two were best friends, and everyone was happy. For a while, Annie had wondered if she was betraying her identity and the gay community, but her family had convinced her that sparing an old woman's feelings wasn't betraying anybody. Liza had remained believing that they should be out to everyone for a bit longer, but her love for Nana had led her to agree with Annie's decision.  
  
Annie called her family in New York and explained about the extra weekend tacked onto the run of Carmen, in which she had the title role. Everyone understood, and Annie said that she would take care of changing their train tickets. So she called Amtrak, and after being on hold for a good twenty minutes, she had everything taken care of. By then the chicken was done, so she set the table and put two candles on, and poured the wine. As she did so, she promised that she would make sure they had several evenings like this when they went on vacation to their cottage near Wells Beach, Maine. She smiled at the thought of the vacation, and at the prospect of seeing Ms Stevenson and Ms Widmer. Annie and Liza had remained good friends with Liza's teachers, at whose house they had inadvertently been "outed." The situation had formed a bond between the two couples, and they remained good friends. The older women had a house near Ogunquit, and Liza and Annie visited every summer.  
  
"Liza! Dinner's ready!"  
  
Liza entered the kitchen in sweats and her favorite MIT T-shirt. She saw the spread on the table and her hand involuntarily flew to her heart.  
  
"Oh, Annie. . .it's an absolute feast! You are so wonderful." She went to Annie, took her in her arms and kissed her. "Thank you."  
  
"Fit for a king," Annie said, blushing. She pulled out a chair and Liza sat in it. "Sit down, Your Majesty."  
  
As Annie served the chicken, stuffing, butternut squash and Italian bread, she felt a rising sense of contentment. She was so lucky. She could hardly wait for their vacation. 


	2. Chapter 2

For both Liza and Annie, the week that led up to their vacation seemed endless. Liza proctored her finals on Tuesday, counting her blessings that the administration had scheduled both her classes' exams for the same day. She spent most of Wednesday at MIT, grading her finals and holding a few individual meetings with students. By the end of the day, she still had half of her Basics exams to grade, so she resigned herself to going in again on Thursday and finishing the task.  
  
"Want me to go with you?" Annie offered after Liza had spent most of dinner venting about having to go back and finish the next day. "I don't have any students on Thursday."  
  
"What for?" Liza asked absently, and Annie stifled a laugh. Liza was obviously committed to being miserable for the evening, but Annie wouldn't have it. Not when they were just days away from vacation!  
  
"To help you with getting your grades in," Annie said. "I mean, I know I can't grade the exams.unless you want me to use the stair method."  
  
"The stair method?" Liza asked confusedly, finally looking up from her chicken stir fry.  
  
Annie laughed. "You know, toss the exams down the stairs and give the best grades to the students whose papers fall the farthest."  
  
In spite of herself, Liza burst out laughing. "Never thought of that method," she said. "But I don't think the department chair would approve. Nice thought, though."  
  
Annie shrugged, pretending to be disappointed. "Well, then I can at least help you enter the grades into the system. It would save you a few minutes at least. And it would provide you with some scintillating company."  
  
"Okay," Liza said. She tried her best to look indifferent, but she was happy to have Annie along.  
  
So the next morning Annie and Liza boarded the 69 bus, having decided to save the gas and mileage in the car for the trip. They spent the entire morning in Liza's office at MIT. Annie made herself useful entering grades into the MIT computer system and corrected true-false questions, as Liza read essays and laughed at Annie's reactions to the work her students were doing.  
  
"Uh-oh, this student got a question wrong in illuminance AND thermal. something. That's got to be bad news."  
  
"Annie, Annie, Annie," Liza laughed, patting her partner's head like she was a puppy. "Stick to opera, okay?"  
  
"If you'd prefer, I can leave and you can spend all day doing this instead of just half the day," Annie suggested. She stood up indignantly and picked up her purse, pretending that she was going to leave.  
  
"Okay, okay!" Liza cried, grabbing her arm and pulling her back down. "I promise, I won't make fun of you any more!"  
  
"Help!" Annie cried, in her best soprano-in-distress voice. "I'm being held against my will!"  
  
A knock on the door stopped them both cold, as a meek-looking freshman in a low ponytail and tortoiseshell glasses entered the room. "Is this a bad time?" the girl asked.  
  
"Not at all," Liza answered professionally, in an attempt to recover her dignity. She let go of Annie's arm and picked up a pencil, as though trying to convince the girl that she had been correcting all along. Annie turned away and returned to her correcting, trying not to laugh out loud.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course, dear," Liza said. An audible giggle came from Annie's direction, and Liza abandoned all attempts at professionalism as she reached over and swatted her partner.  
  
"Did you see that?!?" Annie shrieked at the girl, laughing.  
  
Liza rolled her eyes, but beneath her blush was an amused grin. Why should I try to pretend that only the kids are allowed to have fun? "Annie, this is Tabitha Richards. Tabbi, this is Annie Kenyon."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Annie said, shaking Tabbi's hand.  
  
"Now," Liza said, pulling out a chair for Tabbi, "what can I do for you today? Apart from setting a terrible example, that is."  
  
"I just wanted to know if I passed," Tabbi smiled.  
  
"Um." Liza flipped through corrected papers and pulled one out. She handed it to Tabbi with a grin. "With flying colors, m'dear."  
  
Tabbi looked at the paper and squealed. "A 91! I got a 91! Oh my God, I studied so hard for this, my mom is going to be so happy!" She leapt up and threw her arms around her teacher, who returned the gesture with a proud smile. Tabbi straightened and shook Annie's hand before practically skipping out.  
  
"She was really worried about this test," Liza said proudly after she left.  
  
"Well, at least now she'll have other news for her friends than what a kid her teacher is," Annie said.  
  
"Oh God." Liza blushed. Annie burst out laughing.  
  
"It's your fault!" she cried. "You're the one that grabbed me!"  
  
"Well you tried to abandon me!"  
  
"Okay," Annie said through tears of laughter, "Who's the bigger kid, you or me?"  
  
"I think it's a tie," Liza sighed with a smile. "Just finish the questions, will ya? Before someone else comes in and sees us laughing like hyenas?"  
  
In spite of occasional bursts of laughter from one which started the other going again, Liza and Annie finished by noon. They walked to Kendall Square and had lunch, and it was such a nice day that they walked the rest of the way home, up the narrow cross-street that came out by the chicken store. Every few blocks Annie would giggle and poke Liza in the side, or Liza would pull Annie's hair, and both grown women would burst into giggles again.  
  
They spent the afternoon pulling out everything they'd need for their trip. It was Liza's idea - she wanted to know what they needed to buy before she tried to pack and realized that they didn't have something. They ended up with a relatively short shopping list -groceries, sunscreen, bug spray, one extra sheet set - and Liza ended up with a small bruise that was her reward for throwing a beach blanket over Annie's head.  
  
"At least it wasn't you," she said, rubbing her arm. "If I injured you they might have to cancel the show, and then where would we be?" 


	3. Chapter 3

Both Annie and Liza slept late the following morning. Liza got up first, around ten. She showered, dressed, and located the shopping list she'd made the day before.  
  
"Annie," she whispered.  
  
"Mmmm?" the semi-awake Annie replied.  
  
"I'm going to get the stuff for this weekend. You stay here and rest for your performance. Okay?"  
  
"Mmm-mmm."  
  
Liza smiled and kissed her partner's hair. She decided to take the car to the Star Market - it wasn't far, but she might have a lot to bring back. When she finally returned, Annie was up, dressed and sitting on the porch with a novel. Liza smiled - Annie could look so serious when she wasn't aware of it. Liza got out of the car and propped the back door open with her foot as she pulled out two grocery bags.  
  
"Hey, bookworm!" she called over the car roof at Annie. "Want to tear yourself away and give me a hand here?"  
  
Annie grinned, then she very gracefully placed the book in her lap and applauded delicately. Liza rolled her eyes.  
  
"Very clever, dear." She hid her amusement at Annie's impish grin. "Seriously, I have a carload of bags here."  
  
"Aren't I supposed to be resting?" Annie smiled.  
  
"Take a resting break," Liza said.  
  
Obligingly, Annie put her book down and floated down the stairs to the car. Years of moving around in heavy period gowns had given her a poised carriage. She opened the door and lifted out two bags, then turned and followed Liza into the house. Several trips later, they stood in the kitchen and stared at the bags that were piled on the table and counters.  
  
"Put the perishables in the fridge," Liza said. "We'll bring the rest as-is, and I'll pack the sunscreen and stuff in my luggage."  
  
"Yes, Mommy," Annie teased. When she had finished, she closed the refrigerator door pointedly and stood facing Liza. "Now can I go back to resting?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Liza said.  
  
"Thank you," Annie said, kissing Liza's cheek as she passed through the kitchen on her way back out to the porch. Liza smiled and returned to her task of pulling out everything in the kitchen that they needed to bring.  
  
Annie left for her show at six o'clock. She drove, because she wouldn't get out until late. Liza had told her she would be spending the evening packing, and then she would probably watch a video.  
  
"The exciting life," Annie joked, stealing another kiss before she finally left.  
  
Two hours later, Annie stood backstage at the downtown theater where the opera regularly performed. She brushed backstage dust off her dress and quietly trilled her lips as she waited for the overture to begin. The company's leading tenor, Bert Zimmerman, patted her cheek as he crossed behind the backdrop to take his place. Annie scowled. She wouldn't even let Liza touch her face when she was in makeup - Annie's face seemed always to shed makeup faster than anyone's. Then the overture began and Annie closed her eyes. She thought of Spain, imagined herself dark and sultry.  
  
Hours later, Annie shed Carmen with her last outfit and the baby-wipe she used to take off the first layer of makeup. She would take the rest off at home. She waved a casual good-bye to Bert and the rest of the company, and headed towards the stage door. She opened it and stepped out into the night.  
  
"There she is, the prima donna!"  
  
Annie whirled around and there, at the end of the alley, was Liza. Annie smiled and waved. Her expression changed from pleasant surprise to sheer delight when she saw who was standing behind her partner - Isabel Stevenson and Katherine Widmer!  
  
"Oh!" Annie cried. She ran down the alley, the bag that held her score bumping against her hip. She ran into Ms Stevenson's open arms, then turned to hug Ms Widmer.  
  
"Oh, it's so great to see you," Ms Widmer said warmly. "You were wonderful!"  
  
"You saw the show?" Annie looked over at Liza. Now it was her partner's turn to grin.  
  
"I brought them," Liza said. "When I called to tell them we'd be late because of your show, they came up with the idea all on their own!"  
  
"Yes, aren't we clever?" Ms Stevenson smiled.  
  
"I can't believe you came all the way down here to see it!" Annie cried, brushing at her hair with her hand. It was always so flat after wearing a wig for an entire show.  
  
"Well, we haven't heard you sing since...well, since your senior recital in high school," Ms Widmer said. "And I must say, you were amazing then but now you are just marvelous! What a voice!"  
  
Annie blushed. "Thank you, Ms Widmer."  
  
"Katherine, how many times must I say that?" Ms Widmer - Katherine - winked.  
  
"Sorry, Katherine," Annie said, draping an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Care to give us a ride home?" Liza said. "We took the T - they'd never been on it."  
  
"Well, lucky you," Annie said, rolling her eyes. She hated the Boston subway system, almost as much as she hated the bus. "Sure, we're in the garage."  
  
Annie led her friends and her partner across the street and to the car. They chatted all the way back to Cambridge, Katherine and Isabel sharing all their news as if they were two excited little girls. Liza and Annie told them all about Liza's teaching and Annie's singing, including the story about Tabbi that had just happened that week.  
  
When they pulled up in front of Liza and Annie's house, Liza let out a small "Hmmm."  
  
"What?" Annie asked, turning off the ignition.  
  
"Oh.I thought I'd closed that front window," Liza said. "Oh well.maybe it was the other one I closed."  
  
The four women climbed up the staircase and Annie slid her key into the lock.  
  
"I love this house," Katherine said as Annie jiggled the key to get it to fit right. "It's so beautiful."  
  
"It used to be only one family," Liza said. "I'm always telling Annie we should move to the top floor. They have the attic - they have to trade their basement space for it, but I've always wanted an attic room with a window seat."  
  
Annie smiled and turned on the light. Then all four stopped dead and every smile faded.  
  
The house was a storm. The living room to their right had been destroyed -furniture overturned, the TV and VCR and stereo missing. Annie let out a small cry like an injured dove and raced down the hall into the bedroom. Isabel and Katherine just stood by the door, not knowing what to say. Then they heard a wail coming from the back of the house. Without a word they followed Liza into the bedroom, where Annie was sitting on the floor, a jewelry box drawer in her shaking hand. Liza dropped to the floor beside her and took her partner in her arms.  
  
"Annie, Annie, what is it?"  
  
Annie turned, tearstained and breathless. "Nana's necklace. It's gone." Drawers were all over the floor, but somehow Annie had found the one where she kept her grandmother's Italian necklace - the one that her grandmother had given her when she got engaged.  
  
"Nana will never forgive me," Annie whimpered. She fell sobbing into Liza's arms. Katherine and Isabel dropped to either side of her and stroked her hair. The mess didn't seem to matter.  
  
"Robbed," Katherine whispered, looking about the room. The word sent Liza into tears as well, and soon the four of them were a helpless heap among the strewn contents of their life. 


	4. Chapter 4

As Liza sat on the floor with Annie in her arms, Isabel and Katherine looked around the room awkwardly. Neither of them knew what to say, and both were painfully aware that "I'm sorry" would be not only insufficient, but ridiculous.  
  
"I can't believe it," Liza whispered. "Oh, Annie."  
  
"I'll call the police," Isabel said softly, and Katherine followed her down the hall to the kitchen.  
  
Annie wiped her eyes and sat up. She leaned against the bed, and Liza sat next to her and drew her partner's head onto her shoulder.  
  
"It's just a thing, right?" Annie said, her voice wavering. "I shouldn't be so upset."  
  
"It's all right," Liza whispered into Annie's hair. "It's not just any thing - it was very special."  
  
"I've got to find it, Liza," Annie said, her tears flowing again. "Nana would never - no, Nana would forgive me, but that would be even harder. I couldn't live with myself." She was silent a moment, then sat up. One of her slippers lay next to her beside the bed. She picked it up, and all of a sudden hurled it across the room. It hit the dresser with a weak thunk that seemed to mock Annie's anger.  
  
"How COULD they?" she shouted, sitting up. "How COULD they, Liza? My necklace -how could they??"  
  
Just then Isabel came back into the room. "The police will be here in less than an hour," she said. She crouched down in front of the two women, who in their grief looked as young and helpless as they had at sixteen. Their expressions reminded her of the day they had been "discovered."  
  
"Oh, my dears," she said, placing one hand on each woman's face. Liza's lip trembled at the woman's kind expression, and Isabel's heat broke. She sat between the girls and wrapped an arm around each. Liza wept on her shoulder. Annie just sat there a moment, then jumped up and began tearing the room apart. She flung drawers on the floor, threw sheets off the bed.  
  
"Annie, dear?" Isabel said. Liza clung to her arm, wanting to go to her partner but afraid that Annie would fling her aside - dear, gentle Annie, who had never been violent a day in her life. She looked possessed, and Liza was frightened.  
  
"Maybe it's still here," Annie said, her voice full of panic. "Maybe - maybe they dropped it."  
  
Liza got up, and placed her hands on Annie's shoulders. Annie seemed to look right through her, glancing wildly about the room.  
  
"Annie, look at me. Darling, look at me. It's gone."  
  
Annie's face softened, and it seemed as though she would cry again. But instead, she pushed past Liza and rushed down the hallway.  
  
"I'm going to wait for the police," she said, flinging open the door. Liza, Isabel and Katherine all followed her out onto the porch. They hung back as she paced the front porch, then crouched down on her hands and knees to peer through the wooden boards.  
  
"Oh, Annie," Liza whispered. She turned to Katherine, who had taken her hand. "Katherine, why Annie's necklace? Who?"  
  
Just then a police cruiser turned onto the street, and two men climbed out. One was big and muscular, with dark hair and a twenty-to-eight mustache. The other was small, light-haired and wiry with what seemed like a permanent grimace.  
  
"Robbery?" the burly one asked, as they came up the stairs. Liza nodded. She stepped forward, helping Annie up.  
  
"Yes," she said. "I'm Liza, and this is Annie."  
  
"May we come in?" the wiry one asked. They both pulled out badges. The burly one was Officer Hale, the wiry one Officer Murray. Liza opened the door and they walked in.  
  
Liza led them through the house, pointing out what had been taken or knocked over. Annie hung back with Isabel and Katherine. When they reached the bedroom, Liza showed the officers all the drawers that used to hold jewelry and valuables. When she reached the drawer that the necklace had been in, her voice trembled.  
  
"This is the thing we want back the most," she said. "Annie's family heirloom necklace. Please, if you can find anything." Her voice wavered and she took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry in front of the officers - hated weeping in front of strangers.  
  
"We'll try, ma'am," Officer Hale said. "Usually these types of things are sold - " A cry from Annie, and Katherine gripped her hand - "So one of the places we'll check will be the local pawn shops and antique dealers." He handed a form to Liza, instructed her to fill out descriptions of the stolen items and deliver it to the police station.  
  
"Who do you think did this?" Liza asked.  
  
"Random crime," Officer Murray said dispassionately. "Some kids lookin' for things to sell for cash." He looked around again, then the officers headed out towards the door.  
  
"We'll call with any leads. Meanwhile ,clean up.try to maintain your normal lives." The officers left.  
  
"He's right," Annie said. "Let's get this place cleaned up, get those forms to the station, then we'll leave for Maine."  
  
"Annie," Liza said gently, "We don't have to go right away. We can stay for a few days, check out the pawn shops."  
  
Annie stopped and looked at her partner, then at Isabel and Katherine.  
  
"A few days," she said, looking around. "I can't stay here." 


End file.
